Christian leaders: religious freedom at risk if Subianto wins presidential elections
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - A few days before the vote in the presidential elections in Indonesia, scheduled on July 9, Christian leaders - Catholics and Protestants - are concerned by the possible "totalitarian" interference of the state should former general Subianto win. The main contenders are the couple formed by the governor of Jakarta Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Deputy Jusuf Kalla, former number two of the current President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's first term, and the Gen. Prabowo Subianto and vice-Hatta Radjasa.
Polls put the first pair slightly ahead, but the game is open and could go down to the last vote. Concerns are being raised by the "Manifesto" of the former general's Gerindra Party, published last April. It contains two "sensitive" and "controversial" elements linked to a "state power" to ban "illegal" religious teachings that conflict with "common sense" and the "official" language of religions recognized by the state.
The alarm is being raised by people such as the Jesuit professor and academic Fr. Franz Magnis-Suseno and the chairman of the Indonesian Christian Synod Rev. Andreas Yewangoe. The political manifesto of the Gerindra Party states in principle that "the state guarantees freedom of religion," but the government is "politically and socially obligated to see how this freedom is put into practise". And it is always the responsibility of the executive and of the state institutions "to ensure the purity of the recognized religions" in an official capacity - Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Kong Hu Cu / Taoism, Buddhism, Hinduism - from any "aspect of heresy or blasphemy".
Fr. Magnis-Suseno has strongly criticized the guidelines set out by the presidential candidate and his party. He also sounded the alarm about the intrusion of the state into a personal and delicate sphere like religion and the free practice of worship. The German-born Jesuit is also alarmed by extremist and pro-Islamic parties' support for coalition led by Subianto, which makes a possible state intervention in matters of faith even more disturbing.
The hypothetical Subitanto administration would have the power to suppress all religious minorities who are not in line with the "official groups," including the Ahmadi Muslim sect already the subject of persecution in Indonesia, the Shiites, and among Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons.
The Jesuit priest, who last year had criticized the awarding of a pro human rights prize to President Yudhoyono, says these proposed norms are in direct opposition to the Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution, the founding principles of the State that guarantee and protect religious freedom.
Among the most controversial figures
who support the Subianto candidacy is the
current Minister for Religious Affairs and leader of the United Development
Party Suryadharma Ali, who in recent years has repeatedly expressed opinions hostile to Ahmadis and
other smaller communities. Then
there are the Islamists of the
Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) known to support an extreme view of Islam and with links to the
Arab world, such as promoting the veil for women and beards for
men.
His concern is shared by Reverend Andreas Yewangoe,
president of the Christian Synod
of Indonesia (PGI), who has roundly condemned Gerindra's political manifesto because
"it is not the duty of the
State to control the 'purity'
of a religion". He does not even spare criticism for the outgoing administration of Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono, who has done nothing to
stop discrimination or persecution against Ahmadis,
Shias and other minorities.
Indonesia is the most populous Muslim nation in the world. Catholics are
a small minority of about seven million people, or 3 per cent of the
population. In the Archdiocese of Jakarta, the faithful reach 3.6 per cent of
the population. Although the constitution recognises religious freedom,
Catholics have been the victims of violence and abuse, especially in areas
where extremist visions of Islam are entrenched, like Aceh.
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17/01/2022 11:12
